James R. Lewis (legislator)

James R. Lewis (born May 3, 1936) is an evangelist, businessman and former Republican member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, who was removed from office after being convicted of perjury.

Lewis was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He attended Rufus King High School, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, and Moody Bible Institute; worked as an evangelist for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association; married; and became active in the organizations Citizens for Decency Through Law and Christian Business Men's Committee (of which he was a regional director). As of 1972–1974 he lived in the Town of Barton in Washington County. An ordained minister, Lewis founded Christian Bible Fellowship, a regional missionary society, in 1988.

Lewis worked for a family owned business, Sunseed Natural Foods, in West Bend. He served on the board of the Mid-American Health Organization and as its president (2002-2010).

He was elected to represent the newly created 53rd Assembly District (portions of Dodge, Fond du Lac, and Washington counties) in 1972 with 9341 votes, to 7939 for Democrat Lehman Eichstadt. In 1974 he almost lost a challenge in the Republican primary to Mary Panzer (daughter of Frank E. Panzer, a former state senator from this area), receiving 1830 votes to her 1749; but won the general election by a more comfortable margin. He saw no challenge in the 1976 primary and was reelected easily. In 1978 he was re-elected without opposition.

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